Improvement in key-guards



'of Portland, in the county of Cumberland others to make and use my invention, refer- 'ott` the key by force applied from the outside UNITED STATEs PATENT OEEIcE.

EDWARD P. FURLONG, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT`IN'KEY-GUARDS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,383, dated November 6, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD P. FURLONG,

and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locks; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable ence being' had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l shows a front view of my invention when turned down over the key 5 Fig. 2, the same, with the guard a turned away from the key. Fig. 3 is a side view of a key with a liattened stock. Fig.- 4 is a side view of the cscutcheon of the lock.

The same letters refer to like parts in each ofthe figures.

My invention consists in an improved lnethod of securing a key in a lock, and of preventing the key from being turned from the outside 5 and also of a means ot' fastening the guard to the lock, in order that the guard cannot be pushed oft' or turned to one side.

a shows the guard attached to the escutcheon ot' the lock at one corner of the top. The guard has the slot b and pawl c. The slot is made in a curve, and the pawl swings on the pivot, as illustrated in the drawings.

The bottom ofthe escutcheon o f the lock is bent or curved upward, somewhat as seen in Fig. 4, and this hook or curve is formed into a ratchet at d.

The key, Fig. 3, has a flattened shank, over which passes the slot b.

When the guard a isgturned down over the escutcheon of the lock the end of the pawl c passes over the ratchet d, and thus holds the guard from being turned to one side or the other by anything inserted into the lock from the outside, as a pick or other burglars tool, and the lower end of the guard, slipping behind the hook-formed end of the escutcheon, prevents the guard from liability to be pushed and exerted directly inward. The slot passing over the attened shank of the key prevents the key from being turned till the guard is removed. Thus a security against turning a key from the outside of the door is supplied; and this is so arranged that it cannot be detached from the escutcheon of the lock except at the option of the user and from the inside.

When the guard a is turned down over the key-hole, as in Fig. 1, the curved part of the pawl strikes the curved edge of the hooked end of the escutcheon, and by this turns the pawl downward so that it passes vover the ratchet, and thus secures the guard from a lateral movement.

The curved part of the pawl is drsignated at e, and the curved edge of the hook at c.

When the guard is to be withdrawn from the lock, press downward on the curved part of the pawl, (marked f,) and the guard will be thrown to one side and the pawl out of the ratchet at the same time. The guard can then be further removed by the thumb or 'tin ger.

The object of attaching the guardto the escutcheon at one corner is so that the weight of the guard will cause it to fall and the slot to pass over the flattened shank of the key.

I am aware of the issue of Letters Patent to Rufus K. Lee, dated Way 18, 1859, and numbered 20,280; but this invention differs from mine in several respects-viz., in the employment of an eccentric cam-piece to prevent the drop from being moved from the outside, and a revolving disk attached to the inner side of the drop to prevent the strain being applied' to move theI drop. i

l do not claim a revolving disk on the rear side of a notched drop 5 neither do l claim a drop having a longitudinal notch, an eccentric, and a disk arranged in combination; but

What I do claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent,s-

' l. The hook on the bottom ofthe escutcheonplate, as and for the speciiied purposes.

2. In combination with the iiattened shank of the key,the curved slot b, hook onthe lower end of the escutcheon, and pawl c, all constructed and arranged as and for the objects set forth.

EDWARD I5. 'FURLONGL Witnesses WILLIAM H. GLIFFORD HENRY C. HoUsToN. 

